Inmates from the Department of Corrections Farm Facility recently spent time clearing the back lot of Young Life Bermuda’s Pitt’s Bay Road offices, earning praise from the Young Life Director who called them an ”enthusiastic and energetic work team.”

Kevin Mahoney, Young Life Bermuda Director, said, “Young Life has recognized the growing need and demand for a large gym like facility that will provide an ongoing, safe and fun space for kids of all ages to gather and be with connected, caring adults. The clearing of the back lot was another step, in a series of steps already taken, to make this ‘haven’ a reality.

“This facility will enhance our ability to fulfill our mission of reaching our young friends with the ‘Good News,” Mr. Mahoney said. “The clearing of what was the ‘jungle’ was completed by an enthusiastic and energetic work team from the Department of Corrections Farm Facility.”

A spokesman for the Department of Corrections said, “The inmates were very proud of the amount of days it took to accomplish the clearing. By completing this project we were able to assist Young Life Bermuda and continue in fulfilling our Mission Statement, which is to ‘Empower the inmates to be productive and responsible citizens.’ ”

Young Life Bermuda said they “wish to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the support of the Department of Corrections Farm Facility, the administration staff that coordinated the great job, and the inmates.”

We have a Parks Department / AG & Fish to clean up parks. Unfortunately, SOME (not all) of the staff work harder at finding spots to “cool out, sleep and hide” then they do working. The Botanical Gardens are a great yet embarrassing example of this. When you walk around ask yourself, “If I was getting married today, would I pick the Botanical Gardens as a place to take wedding pictures?. I would be surprised if you could find one spot in the whole park that could be a great backdrop.

Keep in mind that the B.G. is the home base/ depot for Parks and AG & Fish staff and some management. Each day dozens of staff and management drive and walk through that park and do nothing (or very little) to fix the place up. Many of the issues I refer to have little to do with items that would cost money to buy items. I am talking about areas that have been neglected and need man / woman hours to fix them.

I encourage the public and Bernews to take a walk through what is arguably one of the most visited parts of the park, the area near the large rubber trees and zen gardens. If you walk along the white rubble pathways there are portions that have been neglected for so many months that they are 60-90% covered in grass. We have what is supposed to be a maze growing but there are areas where the plats died and were destroyed and never replaced? The sand in much of the zen garden is weed filled and the fountains are broken. The flower beds, have more weeds than flowers. It is embarrassing, how bad it really is. The Sign for the Parks Department itself is broken in half. Take a walk around the rest of the grounds and you will see dozens of trees with large dead branches that were broken in the last hurricane still dangling overhead.

I don’t blame the staff as they will only do what is being asked of them and are not being held accountable if they are not doing what is asked of them. I blame the management, the minister and the shadow minister for ignoring it.

Please, people don’t say the Government has no money, because the issues I am describing take labour only to fix and people they have!. The labour size at the Park and Department has not shrunk. The guys are there, just not working efficiently…or in SOME cases at all.

if there is an example of a place that could benefit from privatization, this is it? Could you image what the Botanical Gardens could be if Aberfeldy, Brithton , Souzas were managing it?

First, I wish to take this opportunity to thank them that had taken part in cleaning / clearing of the grounds etc. surrounding the “Young Lifes” property. I also want to thank the H.M. Prison Farm Senior Officers for allowing them inmates to contribute…

Inmates should be out cleaning up places round the island anyway. Instead of us paying all this money just for them to do nothing while serving their time, doing work will probably also make them feel good about themselves too. let them give back to society and help to keep their island looking beautiful.

perhaps these wolling fellows could participat on other important projects as well…gives them value and self worth…part of the healing process…as long as suprvision is well meeted…why not…a small wage for them the rest towards restitution to those whom may have been harmed by them mnitarily directly to them or their respective families….and then the rest to protective supervision.